Cervical Screening NSWCervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers—having a Pap test every two years is currently the best way to prevent it. Find out more about NSW Cervical Screening Program.

Actions for health professionals

Doctors whose patients are suspected of, or diagnosed with, a gynaecological cancer should refer them to a gynaecological oncologist that works at a specialist centre and is an active member of a gynaecological multidisciplinary team.

The Cancer Institute NSW is working with Local Health Districts, the Agency for Clinical Innovation (Gynaecological Oncology Network) and NSW Ministry of Health, to improve outcomes for women with a gynaecological cancer.

This includes developing criteria to identify a specialist centre in NSW.

Specialist centres for gynaecological oncology in NSW

There are two primary criteria a hospital needs to meet to be identified as a specialist centre in NSW. Centres must have a:

Certified gynaecological oncologist (through the Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists).

Gynaecological multidisciplinary team that meets at a minimum fortnightly. Core members of the multidisciplinary team are:

Gynaecological oncology nuclear medicine specialist.

Gynaecological oncology radiologist

Gynaecological oncology pathologist

Gynaecological oncology clinical nurse

Gynaecological oncology radiation oncologist

Gynaecological oncology medical oncologist

Gynaecological oncologist.

Evidence

A Cochrane review completed in 20121 focused on identifying if improved clinical outcomes were associated with care in a specialist centre for gynaecological oncology. The findings of this review found that women with gynaecological cancers who received treatment in specialist centres had longer survival rates than women treated elsewhere1. Higher volume is one aspect of centralised care in specialist centres that may result in better patient outcomes.

Evidence demonstrates there are a number of characteristics of high quality care for the treatment of ovarian cancer. These include sufficient hospital volume, presence of gynaecological oncologists, medical and radiation oncology departments, delivery of guidance-adherent care, participation in research and clinical trials and strong multidisciplinary team processes with care overseen by the multidisciplinary team1-6.